


Red String Room

by HarlequinKing



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Tim Drake, I'm Sorry Tim Drake, There will be violence later on, Tim Drake dissapeared
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:40:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24395902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarlequinKing/pseuds/HarlequinKing
Summary: Tim Drake disappeared after returning home with a very alive Bruce Wayne. It's been awhile but the Bat Clan is positive that Tim is alive. After Jason found a room while walking down an unused wing of the manor they might finally have gotten the lead they need to find Tim and bring him back home that is if he wants to come back.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	1. Jason Finds a Room

When Tim Drake first came to the manor it was to convince Bruce to take in another Robin so he would stop killing himself or as Tim had put it, Batman needs a Robin. Tim was of course correct but unlike the other robin’s he did not become a hero from just asking Bruce and training no Tim had to train harder than any other and when Jason came back he was under heavy fire as the apparent ‘replacement’. Jason was Red Hood and had killed people he was disowned and sent away. He was reasonable Tim had thought to be angry at Bruce for replacing him. Damian came soon after and then Bruce ‘died’ and Damian took his name, his identity, his position in the family. Tim had left soon after convinced that Bruce was alive. He hadn’t been seen since Bruce had reappeared Tim left again soon after. 

It was a hot summer afternoon and Jason was walking down one of the lesser used hallways of the manor. He heard a shuffle in one of the rooms before a small slam of something falling. Jason instinctively on guard opened the door to the room.

Opening the door revealed walls and walls covered in red string and photos some of the photos were of the Bat clan and some newspaper clippings. To the far side of the room was a computer and a desk. He looked around the room before moving closer to the desk. Behind the desk was a book which was probably what had fallen. Picking up the book a note fell out onto the desk and in Tim’s scrawling handwriting were the words ‘look up’ so Jason never one to ignore such an obvious clue looked up only to see layers of red string with photos and notes and newspaper connected to the ceiling with red string. Small notes and opinions of connections attached to each connection of clue.

Jason sent a quick text into the group chat to get everyone down to the room. After a few minutes of waiting everyone was in the room looking around.

“Jason, you said there was a note?” Bruce asked, Jason silently handed over the slip of paper

“Tim’s?” he asked back hoping it was, he was mad at Bruce for getting a replacement but the Lazarus pit madness had since subsided leaving only a heavy constant feeling of not belonging in the land of the living. 

“I believe so…” Bruce said before running his hand through his hair, a nervous tic that had since been picked up by all members of the bat clan. 

Dick and Damian were already searching every corner of the room. Jason sighed deeply before going to check the desk in the back half of the room. Tim was the detective; he was the one who knew how strings connected for him; it was as easy as 2+2.

The desk was dark polished oak and had 5 drawers and a computer on the top of it. Each drawer was locked but fairly easy to unlock. The bottom drawer on the left side was filled with files of each gang in gotham which was something Jason knew because he was well acquainted with most of them. Pulling each file out onto the floor for the others to look at after he moved to the top left drawer which had files on all the criminals that the bat clan had ever arrested or met. Placing all the files on the floor he moved onto the next drawer. The bottom right drawer was filled with all known identities of vigilantes and heroes from all over the world. Jason once again moved the files onto the floor before unlocking and opening the top left drawer which to Jason's surprise was not filled with more files but instead filled with broken knives and glass.

Laughing to himself he slid the drawer out of the desk and set it on the ground so he didn’t spill any glass on the floor. The final drawer which stretched across the whole desk. Jason was expecting similarly easy locks but instead was once again surprised when it opened without picking the lock. 

A small note in the same handwriting on the other note said ‘come find me.’ and a hole punched with a red string tied in a bow at the bottom of it. 


	2. Chapter 2

The buzz of a tattoo machine filled the dark warehouse as the sun began to peek through the smog and fog of Gotham. A thin red line curled around the right ring finger of a thug. 

“I’m so glad we could come to an agreement” A voice pierced through the otherwise silent warehouse “I know you could have continued working for Joker but were you really going to risk being killed by your boss” a small chuckle was heard before the voice continued on “Well either way it’s good to see you made up your mind to join us”

The door to the warehouse opened and a young man maybe a teenager based on build with black hair and a mask covering the top of his face walked in followed by an older man with brown hair and a scar across his face from the top of his cheekbone down to the corner of his mouth. 

“Now the only thing left to do is get the tattoo, It’s an easy way to distinguish who's with us and who's against us I’m sure you understand?”

“Ah, yes sir” The brunette said nervously 

“Oh no need to be so formal just call me Red” The teen with the mask said laughing slightly

“Ah, of course Red” The brunette corrected 

The thug sitting down across from the tattoo artists got up with his ring finger wrapped and care instructions. The tattoo artist then handed him a ring to go on his ring finger to cover the red tattoo when it fully heals. The thug thanked her before leaving the warehouse quickly with a nod to Red.

“Just sit down and relax, I promise it won’t hurt, You trust me don’t you, George?” Red asked, pushing George down into the chair. 

“Of course I trust you Red” George answered sitting down across from the tattoo artist

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Red said before clicking his tongue at the sound of his phone going off. “Pardon me, George, Cynthia, I’ll be right back I just have to take this” 

George settled down into the chair relaxing and taking a deep breath in relief when Red finally left with the sound of the warehouse door opening and closing. 

“Hello, George, I believe it was. It's nice to meet you, I'm Cynthia, I do all of the Red Strings tattoos” She said, grabbing a sanitary wipe and wiping the table down and changing her gloves.

“I’m George but you already knew that, Is he always like that?”

“Yeah, but he cares about everyone he lets join even if he doesn't show it immediately, when I first joined he insisted on paying me for every single tattoo I did which was nice but eventually I had to tell him I didn’t need to be paid for a single ring around a finger. He still insists on paying me extra at this point. I think he’s paying all my college debt.” Cynthia laughed to herself before motioning for George’s hand

“So, he does that for everyone?” George asked in reference of Red explaining everything to him. 

“Yeah, he likes to make sure everyone is aware of everything, rumor has it that he was once in a gang and they didn’t tell him anything and he had to constantly be on his toes and it really fucked with his mental health, eventually he got sick of it and left to make his own so he could make sure that never happened to anyone else, but once again that’s just a rumor” 

“What’s with the mask?” 

“He may be a gang leader but he doesn’t want his identity out there like any boss but instead of fun costumes and face paint he chose the mask, I think personally it makes him more human, ya know” 

“I guess so,” George said before letting himself slip into the silence of the warehouse and tattoo buzz. 

He knew that he couldn’t go back to the way he was before he joined the Joker’s gang but he wished he could. He shouldn’t have joined in the first place but he needed the money for his family, he needed it to pay off the medical bills from having his son. He knew it was stupid but he needed to pay rent and his bills and he had a job but he had been demoted and he was stupid to have joined but he had to. Red offered the money and protection from the joker for leaving the gang he needed. He knew that Red was young but now he could pay his rent and his bills. He sighed and wished this didn’t go to hell in a hand basket like his last gang did, he has the scars to prove it. 


	3. Chapter 3

Red left the warehouse before picking up his phone and checking who was calling ‘Harlequin’ , sighing to himself he pressed the answer icon and held the phone to his ear. 

“Heya Red.” Harley's voice shouted through the phone. Red moved his phone away from his head before slowly moving it back. 

“Hello Harley, why are you gracing me with your presence” 

“Well, I just wanted to let ya know that puddin and I are planning on crossing over to your part of the city so we can cause general chaos and distract the Bat while Cat goes and steals that fun jewel or whateva it was at the museum on the other side a the city” Harley spoke quickly but gave a pretty good description of what was going to happen.

“When is this supposed distraction happening, where exactly, and what’s going to be used?” All were fairly logical questions and Harley answered back just as logically slipping into doctor Harleen Quinzel 

“6 pm, its gonna be as far away from the Bat’s territory as possible so probably on the edge of the city, laughing gas is gonna be used but only in small doses but I’d say pull everyone in just in case” 

“Thank you for informing me, I’ll let you through the city and pull everyone in just in case, Goodbye Harley have fun”

“Oh I will I’m with My puddin aren’t I” and just as quickly as Harleen Quinzel came she went giving way to Harley Quin 

Hanging up the phone and slipping his phone into his pocket and walked back into the warehouse. George seemed to be zoning out but Cynthia was finishing up the ring. 

“I’m so terribly sorry but I do have to go I’m sure Cynthia can help you get where you need to go, but I do have something to attend to and I’m sure you understand how it is” Red said announcing his presence to George before going any closer, Red would hate to be caught off guard so it makes sense he would try not to catch one of his own off guard. 

“Yeah of course Red, I’ll get him finished up and then get him where he needs to go no problem” Cynthia said quickly

“Thank you, I have to go. It's very time sensitive” Red said before turning to leave “Oh, and George welcome to the Red Strings I hope you enjoy your time working for us” Closing the warehouse door behind him. 

Grabbing his phone from his back pocket he sent a text to his lovely lieutenant to bring in everyone near the edge of the city for tonight after all even if there wasn’t going to be joker gas his previous adopted father was going to be making an appearance and he’d rather die than let Bruce ruin his plans. 

He’d already planted the book to fall as soon as someone passes the room but to be honest it was taking a rather long time for anyone to go through that wing. It was set to alert him when it does fall as a way of making sure he knew what was going on at all times. Walking through the docks until he got to the safe house was easy; he just had to be semi careful about it.

Entering the safe house he took off his mask and slipped on a red sweatshirt and changed his jeans out for sweatpants. He sat down at his computer quickly typing his passwords and then sat back to watch the small dots on the screen move around. He set a command and then got up to make himself a cup of coffee and reheat some of the chinese food he had yesterday for breakfast. A beep and the Chinese food was finally reheated. Sitting back down at his desk he pulled up everyone's diagnostics checking to see if anyone got hurt on last night's patrols. If so which villain or thug, after all they are still his family and as much as he’d hate to admit it he does care about them. His attention is drifting away from the dots as he pulls up another window after all nothing seems to be happening and he did have to catch up on his favorite show. 


End file.
